Rab personnel arrested two people including an executive of Dhaka Phone Thursday
night in connection with running illegal Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
business. They also seized some equipment from an office and a BTS room of Dhaka
Phone in the city.

Golam Mostofa and Dhaka Phone executive Russell Mahmud were placed on remand
after Khilkhet police produced them before a court seeking remand for five days
each.

BTRC Junior Consultant Kawsar Ahmed had filed a case with Khilkhet Police
Station Thursday night in this connection.

The seized equipment include four media converters, two dealing switches, two
ethernet switches, one 24-port Quintum, one E-1 server with three DGM cards and
24 tellular phones, police said.

Rab-1 officials said the culprits had been running this business illegally in
the city's Nikunja and Gulshan areas for a long time incurring daily losses of
Tk 12 lakh to the government while the company was earning Tk 6 lakh a day.

Lawyers for a small US technology firm said Thursday it is suing Microsoft on
the grounds its has prior claim to the name "Bing."
Bing! Information Design (BID) filed suit in a circuit court in the state of
Missouri accusing Microsoft of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and
"tortious interference with business expectancy." "For nearly ten years my
client has been using the Bing! mark," attorney Anthony Simon said in a release.

"Microsoft's use of the identical mark and its aggressive advertising have
gutted all of my client's efforts to distinguish its business and created
confusion that must be remedied." Microsoft told AFP on Thursday that it had yet
to see a copy of the lawsuit but that the argument is specious.

"We have not been served with a complaint, but are aware of the suit based on
media reports," Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz said in an email response to an
AFP inquiry. "We believe this suit to be without merit and we do not believe
there is any confusion in the marketplace with regard to the complainant's
offerings and Microsoft's Bing."
He added that Microsoft is looking forward to defending its position in court.

BID creates interactive illustrations, designs, graphics, animations, and
technical diagrams, according to Simon.

A BID website on Thursday featured sports stories and quizzes localized for St.
Louis, the city where the company is based.
Microsoft rolled out its new Bing search engine worldwide in June in a challenge
to Internet powerhouse Google.

Microsoft entered into a 10-year Web search and advertising partnership with
Yahoo! in July that set the stage for a joint offensive against Google.

US Vice President Joe Biden began dishing out the first installment Thursday of
more than seven billion dollars set aside in the stimulus package to expand
access to high-speed Internet broadband.
Biden, at an event in the southern state of Georgia, announced 183 million
dollars in investment in 18 broadband projects in 17 states.
The spending is the first of two billion dollars in grants and loans to be made
available for broadband projects by the administration of President Barack Obama
over the next 75 days.
The Obama administration designated a total of 7.2 billion dollars in the
Recovery Act for expanding broadband access in underserved communities.
Obama has pledged to put broadband in every home and the Federal Communications
Commission has embarked on an ambitious project to bring high-speed Internet
access to every corner of the United States. "New broadband access means more
capacity and better reliability in rural areas and underserved urban communities
around the country," Biden said, according to a transcript of his remarks
supplied by the White House.
"Businesses will be able to improve their customer service and better compete
around the world," Biden said.
"This is what the Recovery Act is all about-sparking new growth, tapping into
the ingenuity of the American people and giving folks the tools they need to
help build a new economy in the 21st century," he said. Speaking at the event
with Biden, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue described broadband as the "new dial
tone of the 21st century. "Internet access is as important to our communications
infrastructure today as reliable telephone service was a century ago," Perdue
said.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently launched a help line for
submission of company return online to the registrar of joint stock companies.

Any company or organisation can create its own account and submit return using a
security number given by the register of joint companies from the return filing
option at www.roc.gov.bd.

Global shipments of personal computers bounced back in the third quarter of
2009, a sign that information technology spending will pick up in the coming
months, a research group reported on Wednesday.

    Back-to-school demand helped shipments to rise 2.3 per cent after falling for
three consecutive quarters, according to research firm IDC's Worldwide Quarterly
PC Tracker.

    The market is expected to see double-digit growth in 2010, with desktop
shipments roughly flat and portable computers driving overall increases in
shipments.

     `As commercial spending recovers in 2010, we expect to see robust growth
over the next several years,' said Loren Loverde, program director at IDC
Worldwide Trackers, in a statement.

    Portable computers for consumers drove overall shipments in the third quarter
and rose 33.5 per cent from 2008.

    Shipments of mini notebooks, or netbooks, designed for accessing the
Internet, surged to account for 28 per cent of portable shipments, from 14 per
cent a year ago. Those notebooks are expected to continue to grow at a slower
rate than portable computers, since new ultra-thin portables are creating more
competition in the market.

With a view to making the young generation familiar with the valiant freedom
fighters of the liberation war, a CD (compact disc) containing biographies of 56
freedom fighters was released yesterday.

Sayeda Mortaza, wife of martyred intellectual Mohammad Mortaza, unwrapped the
cover of the CD titled 'Mohima Tobu Udvasito, Muktijuddho Khondo 1' at a
function on the premises of the Liberation War Museum in the city.

Gunijan, an organisation that archived memories of noted personalities, arranged
the programme. It has prepared the disc in a bid to preserve the memories of
those gallant war heroes and present it before the young generation.

The price of the CD has been fixed at Tk 100 and it will be available at various
bookshops at Aziz Supermarket.

The CD contains the biographies of freedom fighters and liberation war
organisers, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mohammad Mansur Ali,
Tajuddin Ahmed, AHM Kamruzzaman, Syed Nazrul Islam, Khademul Bashar, Mohammad
Ataul Gani Osmani, AK Khandaker, Abu Osman Chowdhury, Rafiqul Islam, Ziaur
Rahman, ATM Haider, Khaled Mosharraf, KM Shafiullah, ANM Nuruzzaman, Chitta
Ranjan Dutta, Mir Shawkat Ali, Nazmul Haque, Kazi Nur-Uzzaman, MA Manzur, MA
Jalil, Abu Taher, M Hamidullah Khan, Mahiuddin Jahangir, Mohammad Ruhul Amin,
Motiur Rahman, Nur Mohammad Sheikh, Munsi Abdur Rauf, Mostafa Kamal, Mohammad
Hamidur Rahman, Altaf Mahmud, ANM Golam Mostafa, AFM Abdul Alim Chowdhury, Anwar
Pasha, ANM Moniruzzaman, Gobinda Chandra Dev, Gias Uddin Ahmed, Jotirmoy Guha
Thakurata, Dhirendranath Dutta, Nizam Uddin Ahmed, Fazle Rabbi, Fazlur Rahman
Khan, Mamun Mahmud, Munier Chowdhury, Moyazzem Hossain, Mofazzal Haider
Chowdhury, Mohammad Mortaza, Ranada Prashad Saha, Rashidul Hasan, Shahidullah
Kaiser, Shaheed Saber, Santushchandra Bhattacharya, Sirajuddin Hossain, Selina
Pervin and Habibur Rahman.

Recalling memories at the function, Rokeya Hasan Lily, daughter of martyred
intellectual Rashidul Hasan, said: "I along with my mother have been carrying
out memories of my father for the last 38 years. I felt adventurous when I heard
that those memories would be preserved."

She called on the government to start the trial of war criminals immediately.

Zeba Mahmud, daughter of martyred intellectual Mamun Mahmud, urged the freedom
fighters to wage another war to bring the war criminals to book.

She hoped that the young generation will stay beside the freedom fighters in the
war.

Mili Rahman, wife of Birshrestha Motiur Rahman, hoped that it would help new
generation know the history of supreme sacrifices by the freedom fighters for
the noble cause of independence.

Alongside the biographies of the freedom fighters, the CD also carries
photographs and various written as well as audio-visual documents on them.

Dear all,

This is to inform you that the new address of the web site of The Daily Ittefaq
is now:

www.ittefaq.com.bd

Please use the above address to visit the Daily Ittefaq from now on.

Thank you for staying with us.

Best regards,

The people will be able to pay taxes online from January next year with the
introduction of automated payment system in the National Board of Revenue.

At the same time, companies and businessmen will have the opportunity of getting
listed online for tax identification number, official sources said.

According to an NBR official, businessmen and companies can also have a single
registration number for paying income tax, value-added tax and tariffs.

`This facility will bring down the time for doing business in the country,' the
official said. A recent report of the World Bank said the procedures of
establishing a business in Bangladesh usually takes 45 days to finish the
process in seven to eight stages.

The NBR official claims the new single registration system would cut down the
time to 15 days.

NBR chairman Nasir Uddin Ahmed said that the NBR would be fully automated in one
to one-and-a-half-year time when the people would get faster, better and more
transparent services.

He said the NBR is also planning to establish a national database to ensure
accountability in its activities and services.

The automation process is being implemented under a project with technical
support from the International Finance Corporation.

- Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka

Speakers at a seminar Sunday said the Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) should be considered as the foundation of development at state, social and
personal lives.

Emphasizing on the need for utilization of ICT at all levels of administration
for implementing the commitments for charter of change and building a Digital
Bangladesh, they said the government officials should change their attitudes in
this regards.

"They have to work with sincerity in serving the people through maintaining
transparency and accountability," they said.

They were speaking at a seminar titled "ICT: A Highway to Prosperity" at the
conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) here Sunday.

Information Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury inaugurated the seminar as
the chief guest, organized under EPTAP sub project being implemented under PID
with financial assistance of the government and the world Bank.

Science and ICT Secretary AKM Abdul Awal Majumder spoke as the special guest.

Principal Information Officer (PIO) AKM Shameem Chowdhury presided over the
seminar. Senior Deputy PIO and project director Md Zakir Hossain spoke.
President of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Mostafa Jabbar presented keynote
paper titled "ICT: Gateway to Growth."
Urging all to sincerely work together for building a Digital Bangladesh, the
Information Secretary said it will not be fruitful if the commitment of building
a Digital Bangladesh is kept limited within meetings and seminars.

Mentioning that arrangements would be made to ensure preservation of all
information at all district information offices he said the government has
undertaken plans to upgrade the information offices.
A project could be initiated to turn district information offices into
information hubs if any effective suggestion is made, he said urging all
concerned to extend their cooperation in this regard.
Stern actions would be taken against those who would fail to perform the duties
put upon them, he warned the government officials.
Science and ICT Secretary AKM Abdul Awal Majumder urged all for working
sincerely for the interests of the people, not for personal interests.

"Everyone has to get prepared for ensuring proper utilization of ICT," he said
urging the government officials for awaking their consciousness.

Mostafa Jabbar said it is not possible to move ahead a single step without
digital technology. Terming a country free from hunger and poverty and
corruption as the Digital Bangladesh, he said the utilization of digital
technology should be considered as the main driving force for building a Digital
Bangladesh.

At the second session, former science and ICT secretary Md Nammul Huda Khan,
executive director of BCC and additional secretary Md Mahfuzur Rahman, deputy
chief of Information Ministry Syed Mujibul haque, policy adviser for access to
information programmes of the Prime Minister's Office Anir Chowdhury and
Communication and Media Manager of the project SM Akash spoke.

A total 85 officials of the Information Ministry and its organizations attended
the seminar.

- BSS, Dhaka

The telecommunication system in Gopalganj Sadar, Tungipara and Kotalipara is
being brought under Dhaka Multi-exchange from today (Monday).

The area code of the region will be 02 from now. There will be no need to put
NWD area code for connecting a number in the area, according to Bangladesh
Telecommunication Company Ltd (BTCL).

All the telephone in the area will be converted by adding three additional
numbers with the existing numbers. The new numbers will start with 6681, 6682
and 6685 for Goplaganj, 6656 for Tungipara and 6651 for Kotalipara.

The government will launch money transfer services through mobile phones at all
post offices from June next year.

Officials told the parliamentary standing committee on post and
telecommunications ministry yesterday that the postal department was set to run
the e-banking services on an experimental basis through post offices in Comilla
from January 2010.

Once launched, people will be able to send money on mobile phones from all post
offices.

The parliamentary body also finalised the draft of the Post Office Act, 1898 for
launching of the service. The century old act was a barrier to start the
e-banking services through post offices.
As per the suggestion of the watchdog, the post and telecommunication minister
will table the Post Office (amendment) Bill-2009 in parliament soon.

"We hope that the postal department will turn the 8,500 post offices into postal
electronic centres by June 2010," Hasanul Haq Inu, the standing committee
chairman, told journalists yesterday at parliament media centre.

He said people will be able to send money to the remotest corner of the country
by utilising the postal electronic centres cum post offices.

The chairman clarified that all post masters would get special SIM cards. The
sending post office will give secret numbers to the money senders. The receiver
will, according to Inu, go to the receiving post office and place the secret
number to the post master to get the remmittance.

The post master office will then verify the data and distribute money to the
clients.

He said all the 8500 post offices will be turned into postal electronic centres
equipped with computers, webcam, internet facilities and other necessary
logistics.

"The post offices will also provide letter delivery services too," said the
chairman.

"As a pilot project, we will start the service at all post offices in Comilla,"
Mobassher ur Rahman, postal department's director general told the news agency
after the meeting.

He said private operator will provide the connectivity facilities to his
department for running the service.

"We have okayed the amendment proposals to the century-old Post Office Act,
1898.

"The government will table an amendment bill named Post Office Bill-2009 in
parliament soon," said the committee chairman.
There is a common allegation that the postal department does not deliver
remittances and letters in time.

The private courier service operators have been providing money transfer
facilities on mobile phones almost for a decade.

The postal department, which sees sharp fall in earnings from letters delivery
since spread of mobile phones, has been talking of launching the faster money
transfer for quite some time.


- bdnews24

Facebook on Wednesday began calling on users to get a better grip on their
online privacy by dictating who sees what in profiles at the world's leading
social networking service.

All of Facebook's more than 350 million members will be required to refine
settings with a new software tool that lets them specify who gets to be privy to
each photo, video, update or other piece of content uploaded to the website.

"We care so much about this that we will require people to go through it to get
access to the service," Facebook vice president of global communications,
marketing and public policy Elliot Schrage told AFP.

"The idea is to evolve, to give users better control of with whom they share
when they share."

The change promises to help Facebook users prevent embarrassing images or overly
revealing updates from being seen by business acquaintances, bosses or others
not part of inner circles of online friends.

"You will have the opportunity to customize even individual pieces of content
when you upload a picture or a video," Schrage said.

As it promised in October, Google has now started to add search results in
real-time to its engine, giving end-users the option of seeing relevant links
that have just been added to its index.

The move is an acknowledgement by Google of the increasing importance of
providing literally up-to-the-minute results in its engine, as end-users have
found value in searching through messages and status updates posted to
microblogging and social-networking sites like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. In
fact, these three companies have struck deals with Google for this initiative,
feeding the search engine posts, status updates and other content that people
and organizations have labeled as public.

"Google's real-time search is Google's relevance technology meeting the
real-time Web," said Amit Singhal, Google fellow, at a press event the company
held in San Francisco that was also webcast.

"Relevance is the foundation of this product. It's relevance, relevance,
relevance. There's so much information being generated out there, that getting
to you relevant information is the key to success of a product like this. That's
where we as Google come in, because for 11 years that's what we have done," he
added.

Bing, Microsoft's competing search engine, unveiled real-time search features in
October, primarily focused on Twitter results, with plans to expand its scope.
Yahoo is also making moves in this area.

Google's real-time results won't be limited to Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.
They will include results from other social networks, blogs and news outlets as
well.

Google had to develop more than 12 new technologies to power real-time search,
which requires monitoring more than 1 billion fast-changing pages and documents.

Google will roll out this real-time search functionality gradually to users over
the coming days. For now, it will be available only for English-language
results.

When real-time becomes available to them, users will see a section in the
results labeled "latest results." This will open up a section right on the
search results page with relevant items scrolling in as they become available.

There will also be a specific menu option to filter results down only to
real-time ones by clicking on "latest." An option called "updates" will limit
real-time results to those from microblogging services like Twitter. Real-time
search functionality will also be available to mobile users of iPhone and
Android devices.

The real-time technology will also power a new option in the Google Trends
service. Called "hot topics," this new option will contain the most popular
topics online at any given time.

Google also announced new mobile search services designed to let users find out
what local businesses are in their current vicinity, as well as search for
information on an item by snapping a photo of it with their phone's camera.

India's multi-billion-dollar IT software industry is a target for attacks by
militant groups, a top home ministry official warned Wednesday.

"We are world leaders in software," Gopal Pillai, India's home secretary told a
conference on the "Challenge of Terrorism to India's Infrastructure and Economy"
in New Delhi. "The software industry is high on the threat list and all
companies in India are now realising this and they are taking their own measures
to see how best they can provide security," he said. The government was helping
IT firms meet the security challenge, he added.

At the end of July, 101 federal troops began guarding the headquarters of IT
leader Infosys in the southern city of Bangalore. The group agreed to pay around
$550,000 a year, according to reports.
The cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad, another IT hub, have been targeted with
bombings in the past.

At least two people were killed and seven injured last July when Bangalore was
rocked by seven explosions. And in 2007, 43 people were killed in twin attacks
on an outdoor auditorium and an famous eatery in Hyderabad.

India has been on alert since last November's Mumbai attacks in which 166 people
were killed when 10 gunmen targeted a string of locations in the country's
financial and entertainment capital. According to the National Association of
Software and Service Companies, or Nasscom, India's top outsourcing body, the
sector's export revenues are expected to be 50 billion dollars this financial
year to March 2009.

- AFP, New Delhi

Fiber@Home Ltd has completed its 3 year target of nationwide transmission
network mandated by the government in just six months in an accelerated manner.

The company has already reached Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi , Sylhet, Chittagong,
Bogra, Pabna , Kushtia, Jessore, Comilla, Gazipur, Tangail, Natore, Jhenaidha,
Narayanganj, Feni , Narsinghdi, Brahman-baria, Habiganj , Moulvibazar including
some Upazillaies on the way.

At present the work of blowing high bandwidth capacity capable fiber (optical)
blowing work is going on fast.

These sites will have the latest services of telecommunications via SDA, MPLS
and other high tech telecommunications links from Fiber@Home Ltd. All work of
these districts ready with in January ,2010.

Works in reaching other districts with these services is also going on.

Earlier this year BTRC gave license to Fiber @ Home Ltd to build a common
telecom transmission network .

The Government mandated Fiber @ Home Ltd a set of time frame to reach the
Upazillaies to implement the concept of a '' Digital Bangladesh''. Fine's will
be imposed on Fiber @ Home Ltd. If the company cannot reach the Upazillaies with
the said time.

The objective of building a ''Digital Bangladesh '' depends on the successful
deployment of an economical common transmission network obtaining a network
within appropriate cost is only possible when different organizations do not
build their own but use an economical common network.

To have a standard educational system , Health system for all , to provide ICT
services to the citizens , to formable '' Digital '' friendly polices & laws ,
to make Bangladesh middle income country of the world and lastly to advance the
people of Bangladesh in the socio-economic front , All these are possible if the
whole country is connected via optical fiber common information highway or if
common infrastructure is deployed to develop this information highway. Service
Providers will give services through this common infrastructure to the people of
Bangladesh to utilize ICT facilities and build '' Digital Bangladesh''

DHAMRAI, Dec 09 (BSS): Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has expressed her vow
to build a science and technology-based modern Bangladesh free from hunger and
poverty by implementing its development goal: "Vision 2021".

"We are working to carry forward the country by using modern technology as well
as ensuring balanced development across the country in line with our election
pledges," the PM said in a video conference with the local people after
inaugurating a newly-installed 1000 kilowatt medium wave transmission of
Bangladesh Betar here today.

The PM told the audience who took part in the video conference that it would be
possible to generate jobs for the young generation and build Bangladesh a modern
one with the optimum use of new generation technology.

Earlier, the PM formally launched the transmission of the state-run Bangladesh
Betar by pressing a button at Super Power Transmission Centre here as
Information Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury briefed Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina about the transmission, its utility and on the whole installation
project.

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, local lawmaker and a large number of local
people, among others, were present on the occasion.

On her arrival at the venue, the PM unveiled the plaque of the new transmitter
and offered a special Munajat there.

Talking to local people who joined the PM in the video conference from at least
one kilometre away from the venue, Sheikh Hasina said even after 38 years of
attaining independence, the desired goal could not be attained due to absence of
uninterrupted democracy.

The PM said the country's development process has been disrupted several times
due to grabbing state power through unconstitutional means by vested quarters
after the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.

The PM said her government after assuming office through a free, fair and
credible December 29 election is working relentlessly to build a self-reliant
Bangladesh through implementing its election pledges.

The PM said apart from bringing down the prices of essentials, her government
has undertaken various programmes for self-employment of the country's youths.

Sheikh Hasina said her government is implementing various development programmes
in district and upazila levels, as it believes in balanced development of the
country.

Referring to the judgment of Bangabandhu Murder Trial, Sheikh Hasina said the
long-standing hopes and aspirations of people have been fulfilled through the
verdict. Besides, the PM said the trial of BDR killing has begun and the killers
will be punished.

"We will not patronise any wrong doings and the killers of the brilliant army
officers inside BDR Headquarters must be punished," the PM said adding that the
BDR carnage had been staged to destabilise the two-month old government.

Referring to various demands of the local people, the PM said the government has
a plan to expand Dhaka-Savar Road into a four-lane one and the dredging of
Banghshi river.

Microsoft recently released the language interface pack for Bangladeshi Bengali
for Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 [standard
edition] for download and use.

Microsoft has joined with Bangladesh Computer Council and BRAC University to
work on the Bangladeshi Bengali language interface pack, said a news release.

An LIP is a downloadable application that enables users to install their local
language as a `skin' on top of an existing English version of Vista and/or
Office 2007. The LIP for Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 Standard are
both already available for free download from the Microsoft download website
www.microsoft.com/download or a local website www.feb21-microsoft.com dedicated
for the download of the LIP.

Microsoft is planning to engage Bangladeshi Bengali in all future editions of
Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office application suites.

Bangladesh Post Office is going to introduce postal cash card (e-money order)
system through which people, across the country even in the remotest areas, will
be able to send and receive money through mobile phone.

The e-money order will be introduced within the next year. As a pilot project it
will be launched in Comilla in January.

Hasanul Haq Inu, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on post and
telecommunication ministry yesterday revealed this to reporters after a meeting
of the committee at the parliament building complex.

The committee also said the government would very soon introduce some other
modern schemes including e-electronic centre and postal address data of post
office.

As per the suggestion of the parliamentary body Post Office (amendment) Bill
2009 will be placed in parliament soon.

The committee yesterday finalised scrutiny of the bill recommending two
significant amendments to two sections of the Post Office Act-1898 which will
bring courier service system under legal frame once the bill is passed in
parliament.

The amendment to the bill will also give fresh blood to post office which has
almost come to a stand still in absence of innovative activities and schemes.

"We want to make postal services modern and up-to-date through amending the Post
Office Act enacted about 111 years back," Inu, also a Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal
(JSD) leader, said.

About introducing postal cash card, Inu said, anybody could send and receive
cash within a very short time through mobile phone. He said that there are 8,500
post offices across the country and people will be able to get e-money order
services from there.

"All post masters will be provided with special SIM cards. The sender will text
a short message service (sms) from his mobile phone to the person he/she wants
to deliver the money. The same SMS will be sent to the postman concerned. The
postman will check out the specific pin code of the receiver before the money is
delivered, President of JSD explained.

He also said that post office authorities have taken some other initiatives
including postal life insurance, e-commerce and e-banking to provide better
services to people.


Source:
Rashidul Hasan
Thedailystar.net

All primary and secondary textbooks will be published on websites alongside
giving the books to all students for free, as Bangladesh is being built up anew
as a digital country under the recipe of the grand-alliance government.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid announced the latest plan of his ministry
at a press conference at the ministry office yesterday.
He also reaffirmed his pledge to deliver the textbooks to the students within
the stipulated time-as there have been doubts created following the NCTB
book-depot fire.
Nurul Islam Nahid said double shifts will be introduced in 80 more government
secondary schools at district level from January 2010, employing some 2,000
teachers for this purpose.
At present, there is double-shift schooling in 73 government schools in the
country.

Nahid mentioned that as part of the ongoing education reforms, common admission
form has been introduced for 317 government secondary schools for the first
time. Anyone can download these admission forms visiting the website
(www.dshe.gov.bd ).

The 24 schools of Dhaka city have been divided into three groups. One will be
allowed to collect admission form for each group. Results of the admission tests
will also be published online.
For the first time, classes of all government and non-government schools will
start simultaneously from January 2, the minister said.
It was informed at the conference that work is on to upgrade 30 madrashas across
the country to model madrashas with updated curricula.

There will be a new building, a modern laboratory, ICT lab equipped with 20
computers and a library enriched with necessary books and game items in each of
the model madrashas.
Education secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, the joint secretary (secondary) and the
DG of Secondary and Higher Education Directorate were also present at the press
conference.

- UNB, DHAKA

Apart from distributing free textbooks to the students, the government has
decided to put soft copies of textbooks of primary and secondary levels on the
website as an alternative step to cope with the recurring textbook crisis.

It is also going to introduce double shifts in 80 more government secondary
schools in 41 districts across the country from next January for accommodating
more students.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid disclosed this plan at a press briefing at
the ministry's conference room yesterday.

The ministry sources, however, said soft copies of the textbooks will be kept on
the website of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) next week.

Nahid said a step has been taken to turn 30 madrasas into 'Model Madrasas' as
part of the government's initiative to modernise the madrasa education.

"We will make the textbooks, which will be distributed to the students at free
of cost, available in the website so that people who have access [to the
internet] can download it," he said.

"This initiative would be of a tremendous help," Nahid said.

In the wake of textbook crisis recurring every year, the government for the
first time is going to distribute 19 crore textbooks among the students of
primary, secondary, Ibtedai, and Dakhil classes free of cost for the academic
year 2010.

The minister said it is not possible to open educational institutions over
night. So, the double shifts would help address the recurring admission problem
in different secondary schools, he added.

"The initiative would deal with increased number of students seeking admission
to reputed schools as these 80 schools will have the capability of 160 schools,"
he said.

He also said an initiative has been taken to appoint as many as 2,000 new
teachers for the double shift schools.

Nahid said admission to the entry level of the double shift schools would start
from 2010 academic year.

Double shifts have already been introduced in 73 government secondary schools,
he mentioned adding that the number of double shifts will be increased if
needed.

About the model madrasahs, he said a process is on to transform 30 madrasas into
model madrasahs and added that a new building, a science laboratory, an ICT
laboratory with 20 computers, a library with necessary books and sports
materials will be set up for one model madrasa.

First time around Tk 90 lakh will be spent for each madrasah, he said.

The Madrasah Training Institute at Gazipur would be modernised further so that
the teachers can gain efficiencies in madrasa education and modern education as
well, he added.

Asked about the number of textbooks printed so far, the minister said around 100
percent books for Ibtedai and 80 percent books for secondary levels have already
been printed out and sent to districts.

"We are lagging behind in printing primary books. We are giving utmost priority
to it so that we can complete the task on time," he said.

He also said they are not worried about the books for madrasah and technical
education as the number is not high.

Reaffirming his commitment of distributing books on time, he said, "Now we have
the prime task of sending books to the students on time. We are committed to and
despite all barriers we are hopeful that we would distribute the books before
starting the new classes."

About ongoing admission to government high schools, he said uniform admission
forms of 317 government secondary schools have been introduced to the website
for the admission seekers for the first time.

The forms can be downloaded from the website--www.dshe.gov.bd, he said adding
that the results of admission tests of the city's schools will be published in
the websites.

He asserted that the classes would start from the first working day of January
next in all government and non-government schools.

About irregularities in admission to the private schools, the minister said they
have asked all the heads of the school to follow the proper rules. "Actions will
be taken if any deviation is found."

Replying to a question, Nahid said a process of finalising a policy for
inclusion of schools under MPO (Monthly Payment Order) is going on and the
committee concerned will submit the policy soon.

He said the government has made an appeal to the higher court against note and
guidebook business for ensuring quality education.

Education Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman and Director General, Directorate of
Secondary and Higher Education, Prof Noman-ur-Rashid, were present during the
press briefing.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in cooperation with
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in separate drives seized illegal Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) equipment worth around Tk 70 lakh in the port city on
Thursday and yesterday.

Equipment worth around Tk 50 lakh were seized in a drive yesterday, BTRC
officials said opting not to give details since the drive was going on.

They also detected that 'E1' technology for illegal VoIP trading is being used
in individual level.

In another drive, BTRC officials seized VoIP equipment worth around Tk 20 lakh
from a house at Jamal Khan By-lane on Thursday night.

None was arrested in this connection.